RMD Americas USA, based in Cocoa, FL, has acquired majority ownership in Martin's Tire of Marion, Ky., and plans continued expansion of the Martin's facilities in Sturgis, Ky.
Martin Tire will continue to operate as Martin Tire Operations within RMD Americas USA. The operations will be run by the former owners of Martin, who will remain as partners with RMD Americas.
Michael Davidson, senior vice president of RMD Americas, said, that the company is looking to add about 20 more employees. Martin Tire has recently begun constructing a new building at the Sturgis site which will include both an office and a machine shop. The company also plans to build a third building to set up a mulch production line. The expansions will cost between $2-3 million, Davidson said.
Martin Tire collects discarded tires throughout Kentucky and surrounding states, shreds them, cuts them and grinds them to produce a variety of products, including material to mix with coal to be burned by power companies to produce electricity, mulch for landscaping and for playgrounds and products for the molding industry, Davidson said.
RMD Americas USA recovers and recycles copper and aluminum, as well as scrap tires and other waste from rubber industries.
Davidson said the tire recycling industry is environmentally important because it keeps used tires from filling up landfills and finds other uses for them.